Justice League: A New Beginning
by kerrykhat
Summary: In an alternate future, where the familiar DCU heroes are absent and the only superheroes tolerated belong to the government, a new Justice League forms in order to fight the good fight.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

In 1989, during the waning years of the Cold War, three superheroes appeared that would forever change the history of America. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman all made their first appearance. Together, they made an unbeatable team, along with some of their contemporaries: Black Canary, Flash, Green Arrow, and more. They were seen as the protectors of America and as defenders of justice.

All predictions about their combined might could not have predicted the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990. All of a sudden, a vacuum existed where a superpower had once existed. The United States attempted to seize this opportunity to extend their power globally; however, the US was unprepared for the impact this action would have on the nation and on the world. Over the next decade, the United States became more an more involved with politics around the world, committing troops and aid with little heed for future consequences. Overextended around the globe, the United States suffered from a crippling blow when the super villain Chemo exploded in the city of Bluhaven, killing thousands and infecting millions.

This unfortunate event only worsened the desperate economic situation the country was experiencing. Millions were being laid off. Economists were gloomily predicting a second Great Depression that could have worse consequences than the first one. In the midst of this chaos, a presidential election was occurring. The two main candidates, George W. Bush, Jr. and Al Gore had no answer for this national crisis.

Out of this confusion arose a new candidate, a political unknown called Drew Drake. He called for a return to American power and laid out an ambitious plan to recover both from the terrorist attack and the economic crisis. Although a relative dark horse at first, he quickly became a favorite and handily beat both the Republican and Democratic candidates. What was even more astounding, his party gained an unheard of number of seats in both houses of Congress. His party, along with a number of neo-conservative Republicans created an unstoppable coalition. All of a sudden, President Drake seemed unbeatable.

One of the first steps to Drake's plan to regain American dominance was to use superheroes as a strike force around the world to subdue any country that appeared to be a threat to America. He approached all of the existing superheroes. All of them refused to be part of his team. Green Arrow went as far to call it, "a American version of superpowered storm troopers." His popularity in his base of Star City dropped instantly.

These refusals did not seem to faze Drake. He actually appeared to expect these responses and went to his backup plan with little comment. He began to recruit younger metahumans who had powers he deemed useful to the country and began to training them. Before the established superheroes realized what was happening, inexplicable accidents began to thin their numbers. One by one, superheroes were either killed in battle or simply disappeared. Within a year of Drake's inauguration, none of the older superheroes stood to oppose him.

Drake quickly swung into action, establishing his new American League of Superheroes as an executive office answerable only to him. His strict control of Congress allowed him to enact laws that increased his power while decreasing the other branches. Political dissidents started to disappear. Before anyone in America really could comprehend what was occurring, the country was under a virtual dictatorship ruled by Drake and his subordinates. The 2004 election passed with no one brave enough to oppose Drake. Three years later, his control was absolute. Or so it seemed…


	2. Chapter 1: First Mission

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics, although I wish I did.

**AN: Please review! This is my first fanfic that I've posted. Also, I'm sorry about the choppiness. I wrote this for Nanowrimo and I'm trying to edit it so that it's more readable than it used to be.**

** Chapter 1: Alan and Sylvia**

"I can't believe this is our first day on the League!" Sylvia Thomas gushed to her best friend Alan. Sylvia was a young African-American teen around sixteen years old. Her long-braids swirled around her face as the wind mirrored her excitement. Her round eyes shone in her dark face, and her smile revealed white teeth. Around six-foot, she dominated any room she entered through a combination of height and personality.

"I know it's our first day," Alan responded. "You've only mentioned it twenty times in the last half-hour." Sixteen year-old Alan Cui, in contrast to Sylvia, was only five foot seven, with short-cropped hair. He was normally guarded, a legacy of his Chinese-American upbringing, but he actually cracked a smile at Sylvia's enthusiasm. "Don't act so enthusiastic. People might think you actually care about being on the team." He expertly ducked under Sylvia's playful hit.

"Stop fooling around!" came a sharp reprimand from behind the. Both teens whirled around to face one of their new leaders. "This is serious business here and if you two greenies won't stop fooling around, you have no place on this team." The young woman who issued this was around the same height as Alan, but appeared taller. Her icy gaze and straight spine booked no opposition. Her brown hair, pulled into a no-nonsense braid, completed her image of a drill sergeant. Rhonda Blake, or Hurricane as she was known on the team, was someone no one wanted to have as an enemy.

"Sorry Hurricane. It won't happen again," Alan responded with a straight face. Sylvia nodded beside them. Hurricane studied them as if searching for any signs of mutiny. Seeing none, she continued.

"Both of you greenies were deemed fit to join the League on the mission today. I have your code name assignments. You girl," she barked, pointing at Sylvia. "Your codename is Tornado. Boy, your name is Zoom. No questions? Good," she finished before Sylvia or Alan could open their mouths. "Follow me."

"I hate the name Zoom," Alan murmured to Sylvia as they followed Hurricane to the Armory. "Why did they have to give me a villain name?"

"That sucks for you. At least I have a bit of an old super name. Still, Tornado's not a really great name either."

"Both of you, cut the chatter," Hurricane ordered as she reached a pair of doors. Turning to face the pair, she addressed them. "Behind these doors are the League's uniforms, weapons, and any equipment you may need. Don't take any equipment from this room before checking with me, you understand?" Her eyes seemed to bore holes into the two teenagers, even after they nodded their compliance.

"They should check with me as well," came a voice behind Alan and Sylvia. A young man, who looked to be around twenty-two, hurried into view. He seemed to be crinkling with lightning, making his blond hair stand on end. "Why didn't you tell me you were taking the greenies to the armory Hurricane," the League's co-leader James Courtis asked.

"Why Shock," exclaimed Hurricane with mock surprise. "You seemed so…preoccupied with your newest trainee that I thought I could save time by showing these two the armory and giving them their code names."

"We're supposed to do that together," growled Shock through clenched teeth. "Stop trying to undermine me or I'll shock you so bad you'll never think about doing that again."

"Want to try that Casanova?" challenged Hurricane glaring at him. "How long do you think you'd last before I…"

"Enough!" Before Hurricane or Shock could fully register who issued that order, President Drake came into view. A middle-aged man, nothing about him seemed to attract attention. With brown hair, brown eyes, and an average height, nothing about him stood out in anyone's mind. He appeared utterly forgettable, until you looked into his eyes. There, you could see the ruthlessness, the insensitivity, and the fanaticism that drove this man. Both teens struggled to control shivers as they gazed into the face of their ultimate leader. He glanced at them before returning his attention to his feuding team leaders.

"I cannot put on a façade of unity when you two are squabbling like toddlers who just had a toy stolen. There is a reason why I placed you two as co-leaders and that situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. Now," he continued, moving from angry parent to unfazed president in a heartbeat. "The details of your mission are in the Armory. Brief the League when you get into position, not a moment before. Consider this," he paused, looking at Alan and Sylvia, "a test." With that last remark he left.

Shock, still sparking, gestured curtly to the pair. "What are you waiting for?" he growled, obviously still unhappy. "We don't have all day." He stalked into the Armory, followed by an angry Hurricane. Sylvia and Alan followed cautiously.

Inside the doors were rows of lockers, each with a League member's name on them. Sylvia and Alan went to their lockers and opened the. Inside each was a uniform in red, white, and blue.

"Why did they give me a cape?" Sylvia muttered to Alan as they changed. "You know capes are a problem waiting to happen. Look what happened to the original Red Tornado."

"Don't complain. At least you don't have a dorky mask with stars all over it." As they finished getting dressed, Alan and Sylvia compared costumes. Both had the same color scheme, but the resemblance ended there. Sylvia's included a flowing cape of red trimmed with white. The suit of the costume was blue and had long sleeves and pants, with stars bordering the v-cut neckline. The outfit was completed by a blue domino mask, fortunately without the overabundance of stars that Alan's mask had.

Alan's costume was red, with a mask that covered the upper portion of his face. Along the side and around the mask were white stars. Everything about his suit was designed for speed. There was not a stray bit of cloth anywhere.

"We look like a group of circus performers," Alan commented wryly as they made their way to the staging area. Awaiting them was Shock, Hurricane and another member of the League. As they got closer, Alan and Sylvia could see that it was Becca West, better known as Warhawk. With her axe and mace and her wings that had formerly been Hawkgirl's, she cut an impressive figure.

"Oh look, the greenies are here. Maybe we can actually get a move on it," she remarked impatiently as she spied Alan and Sylvia approaching.

"Get on the transporter," ordered Shock. "We'll explain everything when we get to the staging area." Alan and Sylvia managed one final glance at the other before they dematerialized from the Armory.


	3. Chapter 2: Gotham Nights

Disclaimer: I had a dream...where I owned all the DCU properties and it was glorious. But then, I woke up and realized the only things I own are my OCs. Damn reality.

** Ch. 2: Gotham Nights **

"Hey _hombre_. What took you so long man?" asked one man from the shadows. The other, looking suspiciously over his shoulder, hurried to meet him in a dark corner of Gotham.

"My _mamá_ man, she's one suspicious lady. Afraid I'm going to go down the same path _mi hermano_ did. Don't want to lose my free meal and room, ya know what I mean. You got the goods?"

The first man gestured the second to come nearer. On closer inspection, a box became obvious. The first man lifted it up and started to hand it to the second one.

"Man, you ain't afraid that th' new chick, that Puma's gonna show up?" asked the second man nervously glancing around the deserted street.

"Nah, she's just some myth, like the Bat used to be before he got busted," responded the first man nonchalantly, but still glancing at each of the shadows around the pair.

"I don't know man, _mi primo_, he swears he saw her last week busting up the Hernandez brothers at the docks. According to him she was _fierce._"

"When is your _primo_ ever reliable?" the first man countered as he handed over the box. Suddenly, he stopped and glanced around once more. "Did you hear that?" he asked as he dropped the box and pulled out his gun.

"Damn right I did," the other man responded nervously as he grabbed his gun and pointed it randomly at the shadows surrounding them. "Were'd it come from?"

"Don't know," responded the first man, keeping a wary eye all around him. Unfortunately, he didn't look up.

So suddenly that neither man had a chance to react, a shadow burst from above and knocked the first man over. Punching him first in the gut and then in the face, the shadow made sure that he wasn't going anywhere before turning to the second man, who was pointing his gun at the shadow.

"Drop the gun," the shadow warned him as he held the gun shakily.

"You…You just get away from him or I'll…I'll blow out your brains!" the man threatened nervously. Before he realized it, the gun was out of his hands, his nose was bleeding and he was on the ground.

"Be a good boy and don't move," the shadow purred. "I need to send a message through your buddy here. The cops will be here shortly and they'll take good care of you, I promise."

Moving back to the first man, the shadow knelt down beside him and whispered into his ear, "Tell Jaguar I'm coming for her. And tell her that she should be more careful about where she ships her drugs. She keeps misplacing them in my city."

The man on the ground shivered. "Don't know what you're talking about. There's no Jaguar." Before he realized it, a blow rattled his head.

"Don't play games with me _estupido_. You're in the wrong position. Just be a good boy and pass along my message to Jaguar. I'll know if you didn't." With that, the shadow swiftly joined the others as the police sirens screamed closer.

Back on the rooftops, Catalina García, better known as the Puma, watched the scene below. She was around 15 and had lived in Gotham ever since she was six. Crime had always been bad in the city, even under the Bat. Ever since he had disappeared, however, it had gotten worse. This was the third drug deal she had broken up so far this week. _How the hell did Jaguar get this powerful so fast? Better question, how's she getting all this past the Coast Guard. No way it should be this easy,_ Cat wondered to herself as she watched the police officers book the two men she had apprehended.

"Don't you think you were a little harsh on them?" came a voice from behind her.

Cat schooled herself quickly, telling herself that there was no need to jump. Turning slowly, as if she had originally heard the newcomer, Cat faced her new companion and looked her over. The woman standing before her was around five foot two, with long red hair. She had a cowl covering her face, with a long black cape with yellow lining. Her yellow boots added very little height to her short frame. She looked like a female Batman, just not as gloomy and depressing.

"I endorse using force on criminals," the woman continued, studying Cat. "But what you used on the last man was a little too harsh in my opinion."

"So the Bat's got a sex change," countered Cat, ignoring the last remark. "Is that why you've not been around for the last five years?"

"No, and stop changing the subject," Batwoman snapped at Cat. "There was no excuse for what you just did. You don't need to beat up the perps that bad."

"For your information Bat-Lady, I used what force I needed to in order to send a message," Cat answered. She shouldn't be letting this woman get the better of her. "And I don't need to defend myself to you. It's not like you've been on the street for the last couple of years fighting these bastards. You've had a nice long vacation to watch Gotham go to hell." The woman looked at Cat with a slightly shocked expression and took a step back. Before anything else stupid flew out of her mouth, Cat turned around and leapt off the building, using her years of gymnastics training to catch herself on another rooftop and took herself far from the woman who had managed to unnerve her so much.

Barbara Gordon looked at the retreating figure of a young girl in a black costume, slightly shocked at the girl's reaction to her. So who was this girl that seemed to claim the city as her own? She seemed resentful, not that Babs blamed her. There had been no one protecting Gotham ever since…ever since the accident. She really needed to check in with Bruce before she took any further action in regards to the girl. With that thought, she shot out her grappling hook and swung into the night.

The patrol took up what was left of the night and by the time Babs got around to visiting the Batcave dawn was rapidly approaching. Fighting back yawns, Babs reflected on her first night back in Gotham in cape and cowl. Gotham had seemed bad when she had flown in the week before, but seeing it from her old perspective up on the roofs told her how bad her city had devolved in the years since she had left. The girl was right when she said that Gotham had descended into hell while she was gone. _Damn you Drake_, she cursed to herself as the approached her destination.

"So you finally decided to come and visit me," came a distinctly male voice from in front of a computer as Babs swung into the cave.

"I needed to get my feet back under me old man," Babs responded as she made her way to the computer console where her former mentor was seated. Seeing him for the first time in years was a shock. She had known that the thugs from the President had beaten up him pretty bad, but she had never realized how badly he had been hurt. He had ordered her out of Gotham right after the incident, when he had still been in the hospital recuperating. She had heard rumors of course, how Gotham's most eligible bachelor had met with a tragic accident but she had always thought they had exaggerated a little. How wrong she was.

His left leg stuck out at an awkward angle, making walking extremely painful even with a cane. His face, still handsome after all these years, was lined from enduring both the physical pain of his leg and the mental pain from the knowledge that he could no longer protect his city. Still, his eyes shone with determination and the fact that he was down here monitoring his city showed that he was still the same man who had once donned the cape and cowl of the Batman.

"So what made you decide to come back, even when I specifically told you to stay in Europe?" asked Bruce, not missing a beat.

Babs sighed. "My dad needs me. These last few years as commissioner haven't been easy on him. The government keeps putting pressure on the city to allow that American Legion, or whatever those damned lackeys are called, to have a base here in Gotham to combat the drug trade and the mobs. It's all my dad can do to keep the mayor and the rest of the city to agree with him that the Legion isn't wanted here in Gotham. You know," Babs smiled at Bruce wryly, "that he's still loyal to the idea of Batman, even though he hasn't been around in the last four years."

"Are you going to let your dad in on the secret?" Bruce asked. "You know that could cause some serious problems. If the government ever found out…"

"I know what they would do. Why do you think that I waited some time before going out as Batwoman for the first time? I don't want them to connect the return of Barbara Gordon to the return of the Bat. To tell the truth Bruce, I don't know if I'll tell my dad yet."

"At least you're honest about it," replied Bruce, before returning his gaze to the computer screen. "So let me fill you in on the situation at hand here in Gotham since you left…"


	4. Chapter 3: Desert Storm

Disclaimer: DC owns my soul and, by extension, everyone that isn't an OC in this story.

AN: Sorry for the long delay between updates. School and real life caught up to me faster than I thought it would. School's going to be done soon, so I should have more time to work on this story. Enjoy!

**Chapter 3: Desert Storm**

As Sylvia, Alan, and the others materialized, the two things that struck Sylvia were the intense heat and the miles of desolate scrub of the desert. _So we're doing some counterterroism stuff_, Sylvia thought as she surveyed the scene around her. In the distance she could see what looked like a town. Hurricane saw where Sylvia was looking and nodded.

"So greenie, you see our target," she said approvingly. "Good. You might last longer than our last one. We had to send him back after one mission for incompetence. They don't make greenies like they used to." Sylvia winced inwardly at the memory of Jake Lewis. She hadn't liked Jake very much, but she still felt bad for him when he had been discharged in disgrace after his first mission. To have trained for so many years, and then to be sent back for incompetence was horrible. To make matters worse, no one had seen him since he had been let go by the League. Sylvia silently resolved that Jake's fate wouldn't happen to her before trying to get her focus back on the mission at hand.

"Everyone listen up," ordered Shock as the team gathered around him. "This is a small strike mission and needs to be conducted with absolute secrecy. The President wants to avoid another international incident with those damn UN folks who don't understand the word 'national security.' Understand greenies?" Both Alan and Sylvia nodded.

"Good," Shock continued. "Zoom, you're going to go around the perimeter and make sure all the guards are taken care of. After that, return here and make sure that no one else approaches. Tornado," he said pointing at Sylvia, "you're with us. Our job is to destroy this base. If casualties happen, don't worry about them. We are here to protect our country, not to worry about if the terrorists live or die." Sylvia nodded.

"Let's go. That's enough with briefing the greenies. If they don't get it right, then it's their fault, not ours for not briefing them enough," urged Warhawk, who was gripping her mace eagerly and was full of nervous energy. At the nods from both Shock and Hurricane, Warhawk shot up into the sky and began streaking towards the camp, a wide grin on her face.

"Shock, you're with me," said Hurricane, sounding resigned as she held out her hand to her fellow leader. Shock took the proffered hand just as reluctantly as his partner held it out. "Zoom, get going. Tornado, come with us," she ordered as she rose up into the air with Shock gripping her hand. After a brief smile at Alan, Sylvia rose up into the sky to follow the rest of her team.

Out of everything that she had learned to do in the League in order to channel her powers, Sylvia loved flying the best. There was something awe-inspiring being able to see the world as gods may see it, being able to see the larger tapestry instead of the individual bits and pieces. Reluctantly, she reined herself in and followed her leaders. She would much rather just fly for the fun of it rather than flying for a mission. _Today's perfect for flying_, though Sylvia as she glided from thermal to thermal.

Sylvia squinted, so as to get a better look at their target. It really didn't look that much like the terrorist cells she had seen in the training clips, but maybe that was the point. Maybe the terrorists had adapted and were now looking like an ordinary village.

"Tornado, use you wind powers to knock down buildings," came a voice in Sylvia's ear. Sylvia nodded to herself and started to power up. Now was the time to show that she truly belonged in the League! Turning, she started to unleash the miniature tornados she could command at will, turning them lose on an assortment of buildings in her path. From the corner of her eye, she could barely catch the blur that was Alan; the swooping Warhawk gleefully smashing things with her mace; Hurricane unleashing hail the size of watermelons and throwing them at structures; and Shock actually going into a building to fight the terrorists.

Chastising herself quickly for getting distracted by her teammates' actions, Sylvia turned her attention back on what she was doing, just as one of her tornados lifted the roof off of one of the huts. Looking inside, instead of seeing the cash of guns like she expected, all she could see was the terrified gaze of a little girl and her baby brother. Her mother was lying beside them, unconscious.

_Oh my God_, Sylvia thought, horrified as she gazed upon the scene before her. _These aren't terrorists were attacking. We're attacking civilians._ Before she knew what she was doing, Sylvia grabbed up the family in a whirlwind and gently dumped them outside of the town, using her winds to create a shield of debris to protect her from the view of the other team members.

Sylvia started using her tornados again, but not as destructively as before. She tried to do as much external damage to the buildings as she could without actually injuring the people inside. It took all of her control to keep using her powers instead of simply flying off and facing the consequences of her actions. By the time Hurricane had contacted her and told her that the mission was over, Sylvia was relieved. She didn't know how much longer she could keep up the illusion of destructiveness any longer.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"…I'm telling you Alan, they were civilians. There was no way they were terrorists," Sylvia told Alan as they wandered the Capitol Mall a few days after the mission in the last days of a golden summer. During the time between arriving back at base and now, Sylvia had tried her best to convince Alan to believe what she had seen during their first mission. So far, he was still unconvinced.

"As far as you know they could have been terrorists in training. You're just going off your emotions Sylvia and you know how dangerous that can be." Alan rubbed his temples. Sylvia had been prating on and on about what she had supposedly seen. All of this nagging was starting to give him a headache. He turned to face the Lincoln Memorial before addressing Sylvia.

"Sylvia, it's not that I don't trust you. I'd trust you with my life. But I'm afraid that if I take your statement for what it is, I don't know what I'd do."

"So you don't want to believe me because your afraid that this could turn your life around in a way you hadn't planned is that it?" Sylvia demanded, hurt showing in her eyes. "I never took you for a coward before Alan, but I guess I was wrong." With that, Sylvia stalked away. Before she was completely out of earshot, however, she turned around and yelled at Alan, "What would the Flash think if he saw you like this Alan?" With that parting shot, she walked into the bustling city, leaving Alan thinking on the steps of the Capitol for a good, long while.

_Why doesn't he believe me?_ Sylvia thought for the hundredth time as she looked on the animals in the Smithsonian Zoo. Whenever she needed time to think, and if she didn't feel like flying, she came here. The animals were always so peaceful; nothing ever seemed to disturb them. The otters were her favorite. They always seemed so playful and happy with life. Normally, watching the otters for a half-hour or so would calm Sylvia down and make her view things in perspective again, but she had been here for two hours now and the zoo was going to close soon. With a sigh, she got up and made her way back to the base.

When she entered, she found everyone in a state of organized chaos. Everyone was moving around and talking about something. Sylvia ignored all of this and made her way to her room. Her room was small, with only enough room for a bed, closet, desk and a small bookshelf. If she wanted to use a computer, she had to go to the communal library on base.

_Maybe they do that to keep us isolated and monitor what we learn on the news_, Sylvia though cynically as she lay down on her bed. She had never really questioned her life as a League member before, but after seeing those terrified faces, she had started to question everything.

Sylvia had been born in Oakland, to a family that had lost members to gang warfare. When Sylvia had started to demonstrate the ability to control the wind at a young age, her frightened mother had turned her over to the government, afraid of what would happen if her daughter got into the hands of one of the local gangs.

Sylvia had arrived at the training squadron as a young, frightened child who had never been out of the city she had been born in before. Almost instantly, she and Alan had gravitated to the other, in partly because they were the only minorities in the room at the time. By the time the first month of training was over, they were fast friends, despite their different backgrounds.

Alan had grown up in a large Chinese family in Seattle, where he was the only son. Unlike Sylvia, Alan's family had been ordered to send their only son to training. Alan had come reluctantly at first but now he thought of the base as his only real home, with trips to visit his family as a painful reminder of what he could never truly have.

Sylvia groaned. That might be why Alan was so hesitant to accept what she had seen. He was afraid that by accepting it, he would lose a home for the second time. Sylvia, although she would rather not have to leave, knew that there was no way she could stay here after what she had seen. _What to do, what to do?_ Sylvia pondered. Before she could reach a concrete decision, her communicator went off, summoning her to the Armory for another mission.


	5. Chapter 4: School House Rock

Disclaimer: So my people are talking to DC's people...oh wait, that would be if I had people. Sigh. This means I own nothing except for my OCs.

AN: Best part of not being in school anymore? I now have time to work on this and various other stories on my computer. Enjoy!

**Chapter Four: School House Rock**

"…She's on the job nearly every night, even during the school year. She's dedicated, I'll give you that," Bruce concluded over a breakfast of muffins and coffee.

"Sounds like you admire her," teased Babs as she played with what was left of her muffin and gave her mentor a wry half-smile.

"In a way I do," conceded Bruce. "There was no way I was ready to combat crime night after night when I was her age. To be already fighting crime, not to mention protecting this city in the state it's in, with no real mentor is amazing. I don't know if even you or Dick could have…" Bruce trailed off, looking away.

Babs reached across the table. "Bruce, you need to forgive yourself. There's nothing you could have done. There was no way you could have known that they would have gone after Dick."

Bruce gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "I'm the world's greatest detective. I should know these things. Damn it Babs, it's been almost five years and I still haven't been able to find out what those bastards did to him. I don't know if he's dead or alive."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Both of them were silent for a few moments as Alfred came in to clear away the dishes with a sad look on his face. He hated it when Master Bruce began to dwell on poor Master Richard. It only made him more depressed and more likely to shut out Alfred.

As Alfred left, Bruce looked at Babs. "There's one other person besides Puma you should watch out for when you're patrolling the city. She's new. Goes by the name of Huntress. She appeared over the summer and seems to be going after the Five Families in particular. Unlike Puma, I have a good idea who she might be…"

* * *

Cat walked up the stairs to her school. All around her, she could hear the sounds of a new school year convening. From a first look, Cat was different from the rest of the people around her. Instead of the white, wealthy teenager one might expect from Belmont High, Cat was somewhat of an anomaly. A Latina, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

Cat's grandma had nearly sold an arm and a leg to get Cat into Belmont instead of her local high school by pushing her granddaughter academically and saving what she could to afford the tuition. Cat didn't know how this had happened and she didn't ask; sometimes it was best not too when Lita was concerned. Lita had been so proud that her daughter had won a merit scholarship to Belmont. Lita had always been there, before she had disappeared.

Cat mentally shook her head to get rid of those memories of her grandma and entered her school. Inside, the cacophony was somehow louder than it was outside, the sounds echoing off the walls and lockers. Cat made her way to her locker, where she met up with her one good friend Lisa.

"Don't look so down Cat, I'm sure your grandma will show up soon," Lisa counseled as they made their way to first period. Lisa was the only person who knew that Cat's grandma was missing and had kept it to herself so far. She didn't want to see her friend dragged off to a foster home when she knew Cat was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

"I don't know Lisa, it's been over three months. I don't know where she is and I have absolutely no leads. All I know is that if this keeps up for much longer, I'm going to have to start forging her signature and find some little _abuela_ to play her and somehow find the money to pay her," responded Cat gloomily as she opened the door to Room 23.

"Good morning ladies," said the teacher from behind the desk. She was young, in her mid twenties, with dark hair and eyes that had seen unspeakable tragedy. It was her eyes that caught Cat as she said good morning to her English teacher, a Ms. Helena Bertinelli. There was something resolute in there too, and something else that caught Cat by surprise. Lita would have told Cat that this Ms. Bertinelli had seen death and embraced it in more ways than one. _Be careful with that one_, Lita's voice came from Cat's memory. _She may look innocent, but she's a killer. Mark my words._ Cat shivered as she took her seat. She would be on her best behavior in English this year.

* * *

As the bell rang for the end of the day, Cat exhaled a sigh of relief and bolted towards the door. The first day of school was over. Now she just had to survive the rest of the year intact in this madhouse. Cat caught the bus to home and looked at her reading assignment again. _She's chosen some interesting books for us to read this year_, Cat though as she scanned the list. English this year was world literature, and such books as _Crime and Punishment_, _Things Fall Apart_, and _One Hundred Years of Solitude_ were on the list.

Cat was still pondering the list when she reached her home. It was a nondescript brownstone house that had seen better days. Originally, it had been in one of the nicer parts of Gotham, but now it was in one of the seedier districts. Checking over her shoulder to make sure that no one was following her, Cat opened the door and entered her solitary home.

Ever since Lita had vanished three months ago, the house felt so empty. Cat's steps echoed in the silent house as she walked inside and put her bag down on an empty chair. Cat dropped her books on the counter and went through the mail, hoping that something would show up that would tell her where her grandma had gone.

Ever since Cat's mother had been murdered on Christmas Eve nearly ten years ago, Cat had lived with her grandmother. One of the first things they had done was to move from Mexico City, where Cat's aunt still lived, to Gotham, where Lita had said they would be safe. Safe from what Cat had yet to find out.

After finishing her homework in record time, Cat went down to the basement, where she kept her gear. Cat and Lita had constructed this place together and Cat had trained under her grandmother's eye for years before being deemed worthy a year and a half ago to start going around the city as Puma.

Cat began to check her gear for flaws; her grandmother's admonishments so ingrained in her mind that she did this without thinking. First her grappling hooks, then her lines. Everything had its order and Cat went through the check without really thinking. Not until she got to her uniform did she start to think about the woman she had met the night before.

"So we have a new vigilante in town," muttered Cat under her breath as she checked her black costume for any holes from the night before. She wondered if this was the old Batgirl all grown up. No one had seen or heard from the former crimefighter ever since the real Bat disappeared all those years ago. _Where've you been hiding all of these years then?_ Cat thought as she made sure her costume was still intact. There had been a hint of an accent in her words, Spanish maybe, as if she'd been living abroad all these years. Whoever she was, she was the second new crimefighter within the last few months. Cat had yet to run into this Huntress, but it was only a matter of time. Gotham was relatively small when it came to crime, and Cat and Huntress seemed to be after the same sort of people.

Seeing that her gear was ready, Cat started to don her costume. Just because school had started didn't mean that she was going to start slaking.

* * *

The night was going fairly uneventfully so far. There had been a breaking and entering that Cat had broken up but nothing big so far. None of her sources had brought her any news of a new shipment from Jaguar, so the city was secure on that front, Cat decided as she watched the docks for any activity. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a flash of purple run into the shadows of the building adjacent to the one she was on.

Cat moved quietly in the shadows, nearly falling off the roof when she saw who was behind that flash of purple. The Huntress stood before her, crouched and watching some men unload a shipment. Cat, deciding against interfering, watched silently as Huntress took down the men with crossbow bolts fired one after the other with a near deadly accuracy.

"Impressive isn't it?" came a familiar voice from behind Cat. Telling herself not to jump and chastising herself for allowing this to happen again, Cat looked over at Batwoman.

"So you're stalking me now, is that it?" she asked with a semi-surprised voice, while keeping one eye on Huntress. "How long before you think she notices us?"

"Oh, I think she already has," responded Batwoman, kneeling and gazing over the roof. "Right now, she's just showing off for us."

"Maybe we should introduce ourselves," remarked Cat, and before Batwoman could stop her, she jumped off the roof and landed behind Huntress. The woman took care of the last man before turning to face Cat.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "From what I know, you only work the Latin gangs, not the Mob."

"So it's a crime now to work more than one beat?" Cat countered as she took in the scene. "What's in the crate, drugs?"

"No, which is puzzling," responded the Huntress, as she finished tying up one of the men to a nearby light post. "My contact only said that this was a big shipment and that the Five Families have a lot riding on this. I don't know what could be bigger than drugs though," she added in a confused tone.

"So the Mob's expanding," observed Batwoman, who had come down from the rooftop to look into the case. "Let's take a look." With that, she expertly popped open one of the crates and looked inside. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed quietly, her eyes widening in surprise as she gazed at the mysterious cargo.

"What's that?" asked Huntress, looking into the crate, and then looking at Batwoman, equally surprised as the other woman. "Why are they shipping this? There's no value to it."

"Excuse me, but can you please tell me what's in the crate? You two are kinda hogging the view," growled Cat, impatient with the other two women.

Huntress and Batwoman looked at each other before Batwoman reached down and threw Cat a rock. "Examine that," she said curtly.

Cat looked at the rock, then looked at the two women in front of her, confusion in her eyes. "It's kryptonite. But Superman's been gone for years. Why would they need all of this? And where are they getting it from?" Neither woman had an answer for her.


	6. Chapter 5: Hard Choices

Disclaimer: I own nothing, DC does. I am a poor college student, while DC is part of a corporate conglomerate. Life sucks doesn't it?

A/N: Reviews make me happy and give me an incentive to keep editing. Also, it might take a while between updates, since I have to do some major editing on upcoming chapters.

**Chapter Five: Hard Choices**

Nearly two months had passed since that first mission and Sylvia was barely holding herself together. She had been on other missions since the first one and all of them had gone off well, in her superiors' eyes. But Sylvia couldn't help doubting every set of instructions she was given; every mission she was plagued with fears about what she would do if she were ordered to act against civilians again.

To help alleviate these feelings, Sylvia had started visiting the Library of Congress to research on some of the missions she had been given and their backgrounds. She also started going through all the documents she could find about the League's missions, both past and present, in order to understand what type of organization she was working for. What she found terrified her beyond belief.

From the beginning, the League had been used to attack civilians of countries the United States wanted to intimidate. Countless civilians were killed, all in the name of national security, yet none of it reached the media. Every question Sylvia seemed to answer only raised a dozen more in her mind. Sylvia had even started to look for papers from five years ago, when superheroes started to disappear. To her annoyance, most of the relevant newspapers seemed to have "mysteriously" vanished, leaving her with very few leads to follow. _Where's Lois Lane when you need her_, she thought to herself one day as she left the Library in a frustrated huff.

Everything that she discovered just kept jumbling up in Sylvia's head leaving her depressed and confused. She started going on long runs and swimming laps to see if that would help sort her thoughts. So far, the only thing that helped calm her and allow here to think was going to visit her old friends, the otters. Today was Halloween and everywhere was decked out with pumpkins and cobwebs. Even the otters had their own little gourds to play with. Sylvia was watching them play when she saw Hurricane approach her.

"I thought I might find you here," Hurricane remarked as Sylvia nodded at her and sat down beside Sylvia. "I don't understand why you like it here. If I were you, I would go in the middle of a desert or something if I wanted peace. This place is too noisy for me."

"They help me put things in perspective," replied Sylvia, making sure to guard her words. "They never seem to have anything to worry about. Watching them play helps me understand my place in this whole grand scheme of things. Plus, they're pretty damn cute little creatures"

Hurricane nodded, acting as if she understood. "Well, what we're about to do might help you put things in perspective better than watching these otters ever could. We're having a special mission to formally initiate you as a member of the League."

"Is Alan coming?" Sylvia asked, tearing her eyes away from the otters and watching Hurricane's face for any sign of a lie.

"No. We do all the initiations separately. His will be later. Trust me, you won't want to have him there for the initiation. We leave in an hour. I'll see you at the Armory." With those cryptic comments, Hurricane got up and walked off, leaving Sylvia to think about what she had both said and not said.

* * *

Alan sat in his room with an envelope in his hands. He didn't know what was in it and he really didn't want to. The envelope and its mysterious contents had been slipped under his door five minutes ago. It was addressed to him, but he didn't know who had given it to him. He didn't think Sylvia slipped it to him. She hadn't really been talking with him since their disagreement on Capitol Mall.

He honestly didn't want to think about what she had brought up then, but over the last few weeks, what she had said really started to fit together with what he was seeing on his missions. It was as if they had been shielding him at first and were now taking off the blinders, except Alan didn't like what he saw without them. His missions were starting to upset him more and more. There were more attacks against civilians than before and his position on that was the same as Sylvia's when it came to harming innocents. With a sigh, he ripped open the envelope and started to read its contents.

What was in the envelope shocked him and he had to reread certain parts twice before he truly understood what was in front of him. Being a speedster, he read everything in less than a minute, but for him it seemed hours. What lay before him was all of Sylvia's research over the last few months. According to the letter she had enclosed, this was the only paper copy of her research and he was to destroy it if she returned from this mysterious mission, but if she didn't:

"Alan, I want you to give this all to my mother before you start to run. I mean it. These people will stop at nothing if they think that you know what is going on. Go get help. Try Gotham. I know that they have some people there who might be able to help you. Alan, I know we haven't really talked much these last few months, but you're still my best friend and the person I trust the most. Sylvia."

Alan stared at the page before catching the postscript. "Alan, I'm off on the mission. We leave at eight o'clock. I have a tracker on my suit. Here's the frequency so that you can find me. S."

Alan glanced at the clock. It was five past right now. Alan went and grabbed his tracer and plugged in the frequency Sylvia had given him. There it was, in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Without fully thinking things through, Alan literally changed in a second and rushed over to try and save his friend.

* * *

As Sylvia and Hurricane materialized in the desert, Sylvia's heart quailed at the sight that greeted her. There was only one other person there: Shock, with a deadly, gleeful look on his face. Things weren't looking good for her, but she had to try and talk her way out of this mess anyway.

"I thought you said that the entire League was going to be here," asked Sylvia as they approached Shock.

"I lied," replied Hurricane and the look she gave Sylvia as she turned around nearly made Sylvia turn around and fly away in terror. There was pleasure in her eyes and in Shock's, for what was about to happen. "You really didn't think that we wouldn't notice your extracurricular activities would you? Especially when there are systems everywhere to track your every move while you're researching."

"So what if I was researching?" countered Sylvia, her mind searching for an escape option desperately. At least there were only two of them, but they had so much more experience than her, they might see what tricks she could come up with. "Where's the danger in that?"

"Ah, but the question really lies in what you were researching, and that information, little greenie, is off limits. Why, if you spilled our innermost secrets to the media, it could bring down the entire government and cause chaos. Do you want that?" asked Shock in a mock-innocent voice.

"But doesn't the public have the right to know what the government has been doing these last five years? The human rights abuses, the killings, the disappearances, they all have the right to know," argued Sylvia clenching her fists and silently powering up in an effort to defend herself.

"Even if they do, you aren't the one to tell them," said Hurricane, arms crossed. "In fact, your research has been deemed inappropriate by the President himself. He decided that you should be given a chance to recant what you have discovered and you will be excused from any League activities you deem unsavory. We, however, have decided not to give you that chance."

"So you're going to directly violate an order from your superior officer? My, I never would have thought you had the initiative to do so!" exclaimed Sylvia in mock shock. Where was Alan, he should have been here by now!

"Very funny greenie," Shock spat at her. "That's the last smart comment you'll ever make." As he raised his hand threateningly, Hurricane caught and lowered it.

"Hold on a moment Shock. I think I want to tell her exactly what we're going to do with her." Her eyes shone with malicious pleasure. "The story we tell the President is that you refused, naturally, and we had to kill you. The story that the public will hear is that you cracked under pressure and ran off raving mad. The only way we could stop you was to kill you."

"And Alan, what about him?" asked Sylvia; desperately hoping that Alan was here and listening.

"Ah him," said Shock meditatively. "You know, we thought we would be having this conversation with him, not you. He seemed to be the suspicious one, the one who would do the initial questioning of the system. We thought that, due to your enthusiasm, you would fit right in to the League. Guess we were wrong about that one. No, your friend lives, for now. But if we find that he somehow is continuing your work, he goes next. And now," he said as he pointed his arms at her, his fingers sparking. "Good-bye."

Before he could shoot off a bolt of lightning at Sylvia, however, something sped into view and hit him, full force. Sylvia took advantage of Hurricane's shock and used her tornados to whirl sand into her eyes. Hurricane might control storms, but in this desert, winds were infinitely more useful. Sylvia kept buffeting her opponent with sand and debris until Hurricane was on the ground with her arms thrown over her face to protect it from Sylvia's relentless attack. Sylvia quickly knocked her out before turning to face her helper.

"What?" Alan asked as they sped towards Gotham. "Did you think I was going to leave you alone with those two? What are friends for?"


	7. Chapter 6: Trick or Treat

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the liscensed DCU characters. All OC's are mine and I guard them fiercely.**

**AN: Sorry for the long break between updates. I got distracted by life. Enjoy!**

**Ch. 7: Trick or Treat**

Cat hated Halloween. It meant that the next day was All Souls Day, and that the next day would be _Día de los Muertos, _Day of the Dead to those who didn't speak Spanish. When she had been little, she had loved Day of the Dead. She would go with her family to clean the graves of her ancestors, then set up the family altar with its myriad of photos and gifts to the departed family members. The day meant delicious food, like _pan de muerte _and sugar skulls and a late night of sharing memories with friends and family.

But since her mother had died and she had moved up here, the day had lost some of it's meaning to her. She still celebrated it, but the day wasn't the same without actually being by the graves. As she started setting up the offering, she refused to put a picture of Lita on the altar. She wasn't dead. Cat knew it.

Halloween passed without issue. Nothing happened that night on patrol that was noteworthy, but that made Cat feel worse. Normally there was _something_ big happening on Halloween. She was afraid that this meant that a big shipment was going to come in the next night. That's all she needed to make Day of the Dead worse.

The day after Halloween, Cat was called into Ms. Bertinelli's class during her lunch hour. Cat entered after her hesitant knock was answered with a curt, "Come in."

"Please sit down Catalina," said Ms. Bertinelli, gesturing to a chair next to her desk. "I have something serious that I want to discuss with you."

Cat sat down. She didn't think it was her grades that they were going to be discussing. She was getting A's in all of her classes as far as she knew. Maybe it was Cat's lack of friends here at Belmont. Teacher had discussed that with her before but Cat normally brushed them off. Why would she want to be friends with the people who looked down on her on a daily basis?

"Where is your grandmother?" asked Ms. Bertinelli abruptly.

"She's on vacation," answered Cat adroitly. She had been expecting this question for a while now and was surprised no one else had asked it yet. In fact, she was surprised it was the new teacher who asked it, rather than one of the teachers she had from last year.

"Then why hasn't she been around for the last few months?" asked Ms. Bertinelli, studying Cat's face, looking for some clue. "I'm not asking you because I want to cause problems for you. I'm really worried about you Cat. You're one of my best students, but from the looks of it, you haven't been getting enough sleep lately. You're too young to be living by yourself."

"I'm fine Ms. Bertinelli, honest. Please, she'll be back soon. My aunt's been having some problems back in Mexico and my grandmother went down to help her. Please don't report me to foster care," Cat pleaded, looking earnestly into Ms. Bertinelli's eyes. Then it clicked in her mind. Why hadn't she seen it before? Did Ms. Bertinelli suspect about Cat? Was that why she was asking these questions?

"Cat, I won't report you now, but if she's not back by the first of December, I'll have no choice but to report you. I care for you as a student, and I respect your wishes, but I feel like the best option for you isn't living on your own. Do we have an understanding?" she asked as her eyes stared into Cat. Cat nodded, trying to buy herself time. She needed to go home and compare evidence in the basement. _I should also start screening for that abuelita to act the part if Lita is still MIA by December_.

As Cat got up to leave, Ms. Bertinelli leaned over and asked, "Cat, you seem a little disconcerted today, more so than usual. What's going on?"

Cat weighed her options carefully and then decided to give her the one that would be the most understood and the least revealing. "Tomorrow's _Día de los Muertes_ Ms. Bertinelli. It's been hard on me ever since I moved to Gotham."

Ms. Bertinelli nodded understandingly. "I understand. Holidays can be hard for me too. I hope you feel better after its over." Cat nodded and fled just as the bell that ended lunch rang.

The night was young and promised excitement. One of Cat's sources near her home had let slip that there was a big shipment coming in that Jaguar had a stake in. Cat's friend, Azucena, had a brother who worked for the gang, and 'Cena was always telling Cat juicy tidbits, not realizing that her gossiping was helping Puma take down the Tigres one by one.

Cat scanned the docks as she thought about what else she had learned today. The photos she had been comparing at home had been a match. Cat just needed to decide what she was going to do with the information. If she let it slip, her secret identity could be out the window. But the information could also get her out of a sticky situation with her personal life…

"Hello Batwoman," she said absently as she kept a close eye on the docks. Batwoman chuckled and knelt down beside the girl.

"Good, at least I'm not sneaking up on you any more. You're getting better."

"Thanks."

"What's going on here?" came another voice as Huntress came into view. "I heard from one of my sources at the Mob that the Tigres were shipping in something big tonight."

Cat nodded. "The Tigres are set on becoming the biggest supplier of drugs from Latin America. This is their biggest shipment yet. There's also a rumor that the Jaguar is sending something on this ship. I'm hoping it will help explain what she's up to in the city."

"Why are you so interested in Jaguar?" asked Batwoman. Cat remained silent, choosing to ignore the question.

"Leave her alone," defended Huntress. "Just because she wants to take this Jaguar down doesn't mean that this is personal." Batwoman didn't say anything but still didn't look convinced. Before she could say anything however, Cat spotted movement by the dock where the shipment was supposed to come in.

"Come on," she said as she leapt off the roof. She heard the other two follow behind her as she knocked out the first man with a hard blow to the head. As soon as she got her feet under her, she could tell that this was going to be a real fight, not the scuffles she had had for the last few months. There were at least a dozen men here, all armed to the teeth with guns and knifes. The three of them worked together to disable and aprehend all the men. Cat felt exhilarated. This was the most work she had had in months.

"I think that's everybody," said Huntress as she knocked out the last man standing. "Let's take a look at what they were shipping." As Huntress went for the crate, Cat heard a noise behind her. As she turned around, she felt someone knock her aside as the bang of a gun went off.

Cat got up just in time to see Batwoman fall, holding her side as a man who they had thought was knocked out stood with a gun. After looking at his handiwork with Batwoman, he started to point at Cat again. He was too slow.

Before he even realized what was going on, Cat hit him like a freight train, first knocking the gun out of his hand before beating him into the ground. "You coward," she snarled at him. "Is that what the Tigres teaches you?" Before he could answer she knocked him out and ran to Batwoman. Huntress was already beside her.

Looking at Cat, her eyes were worried. "She got hit bad. She'll survive, but she needs help immediately and we can't trust any of the hospitals."

Cat thought for a moment, and then gestured towards Huntress. "Grab her and follow me," she ordered as she started running. Her house was only a few blocks from here. "I know a place where we can help her." Huntress grabbed the injured Batwoman and started to follow Cat as she led the way deeper into the city.


End file.
